(Ecofin Agency) - Policemen were held captive in the offices of the television channel Afrique Média located in Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon. They had come to seal it on this 10 August 2015. A deployment from 3 police stations (Central n˚2, 10^th and 11^th arrondissements), in addition to the Special Rapid Response Team (ESIR). They were however powerless against the crowd.

It is about 3 P.M. when the presence of the police is noted in the Ndogbong neighbourhood where the channel Afrique Média is located. According to eyewitness accounts reported by the daily Le Jour, the policemen were joined inside the building by a crowd of men, women and children. Outside, there were even more. “The residents of the area closed the gate with big chains”, tells Tony Michael Menga, journalist at Afrique Média.

The policemen finally conceded. The mob booed them then launched into a rendition of the national anthem of Cameroon. “They had to negotiate to get out”, says Jules Njawé, adviser to CEO of Afrique Média, Justin Blaise Tagouh.

The police had come to execute a decision taken since 4 June 2015 by the National Council for Communication (CNC) which suspended Afrique Média for a month. But Jules Njawé denounces the fact that the policemen did not come with any member of the CNC, nor the administrative authority in charge of enforcing the decision of the regulatory organ.

However, the regional management office of Afrique Média in Yaoundé had been placed under seal on 6 August 2015, without meeting any resistance. The channel continued broadcasting from Douala. On the social networks, a movement was announced to save this television channel which is quite successful in Cameroon. It takes a Pan African stance and denounces “the imperialism of the powerful Western nations”. France and the USA were accused on the channel of trying to destabilise Cameroon via support to the Boko Haram terrorists.

It is this sort of statement, qualified as extremist, which landed the channel a suspension of one month in addition to the 6 months suspension imposed on 2 of its journalists. But Afrique Média has always refused to comply. It even went to the administrative court to delay the decision of suspension. The verdict of the judge is still pending.